


Meeting the Family

by LeelaSmall



Category: The Amazing World of Gumball
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Canadian Thanksgiving, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, General tension, Heart Disease, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 08:37:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21241271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeelaSmall/pseuds/LeelaSmall
Summary: It's Thanksgiving in Canada, and Leela has been invited to go up north to spend it with her family... and Mr. Small! Will he endure the craziness of her family, or will it be an epic disaster? [Original publish date: November 5, 2014]





	1. The Invitation

"And that's why you don't need to have problems about being so different from each other. If anything it makes your relationship a lot more interesting."

Mr. Small finished his long speech with the brightest smile he could manage. He and his co-counselor –slash- girlfriend Leela Winters had just been explaining to Alan and Carmen how the fact that they were so unlike each other shouldn't affect their feelings, going to the point of giving examples from other people throughout history, all this resulting in an almost half-an-hour-long speech. The balloon and the cactus looked at each other, seemingly uncomfortable with the position they were in.

"Actually we never had problems about that." Alan declared as he and his girlfriend turned back to the counselors.

"Our question was about HOW we could make it work, being that just sitting too close to Alan puts his life at risk." Carmen added with a sad sigh.

Leela leaned back a bit and tapped her chin, cocking an eyebrow as she took a minute to think. After a few seconds she snapped her fingers and sat back up with a smile.

"Have you tried bubble wrap?" she asked the two youngsters as she pointed towards them. The young couple perked up almost instantly.

"Of course! How come we didn't think of that?" Alan exclaimed in glee.

"It's so obvious!" commented Carmen. The two hopped off of their seats and quickly headed out the door.

"Thanks!" they said in unison before closing the door behind them.

"And that's how it's done." Leela remarked as she leaned back on her chair, her arms crossed and a victorious smirk across her face. Mr. Small gave her a quizzical yet humorous look, which made her question his thoughts. "What?"

"Did you seriously just tell a cactus to cover herself in bubble wrap?" he asked, letting out an involuntary chuckle. "She's going to look ridiculous!"

"Says the man who wears a hat made out of tin foil to protect himself from some sort of force which deletes people's memories." She snorted. He, on the other hand, became almost scarily serious.

"That is no laughing matter. If I didn't wear my tin foil hat most of the time you can bet I wouldn't remember half of my life. Maybe I wouldn't even remember you."

He kept staring at her, squinting as if to intimidate her, yet she didn't even flinch. After a moment she burst out laughing, grasping her sides as she chuckled wholeheartedly at his statement. He let out an exasperated sigh but his expression immediately turned into worry as he noticed she had stopped laughing and was clutching her chest, wheezing in pain.

"What's wrong? Is it your heart?" he asked concernedly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She slowly nodded and weakly stretched an arm towards her bag, which was sitting on a corner of the room. He easily understood what she meant and quickly headed towards the object in question. He rummaged through its contents and retrieved the one thing he knew she needed at that moment: a small cylindrical box of pills. He walked back up to the female lemur as he popped the top of the box and poured a couple of pills into the palm of his hand. He carefully took the pills to her mouth and grabbed a nearby bottle of the water to help her wash the medicine down. After a few gulps she started to calm down, exhaling sharp breaths as the pain started to wither away.

"Better?" the cloud man asked with a warm smile as she managed to look up at him.

"Yeah… I think…" she replied, her voice still weak. "I'm gonna… go to the bathroom."

She rose from her chair with some difficulty and dragged herself out the door. As soon she left Mr. Small let out a worried sigh. He was used to her cardiac episodes by now; they had been dating for four months. He took care of her whenever she needed, but he always felt like what he did was never enough. He worried about her. A lot.

Nevertheless, his feelings towards her could cancel out any hint of worry in his mind. Even if she didn't share his beliefs, he still loved her like nobody else. And that was one of the reasons he always felt the need to keep helping her however he could.

He was still staring at the door when he heard a vibrating noise coming from Leela's desk. He looked at her phone, which was showing she had received an e-mail. Reading the name of the sender, he thought who it could be. It seemed vaguely familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"What's up?"

He jerked up when he heard Leela's voice at the door. She seemed to be back to normal, a warm smile adorning her face.

"Oh, you just got an e-mail from an…" he squinted as he looked down at her phone to read the sender's name again. "… April Jablonski?"

Leela's smile dropped into one of the most vicious scowls he had ever seen on her. She seemed to tense up again as she stomped towards her desk and abruptly dropped onto her chair, yanking her phone up and opening the e-mail. Not too seconds later she scoffed at the screen.

"Can you believe this?" she asked crossly, almost shoving her phone onto her boyfriend's face as she showed him what that person had written.

_Mom says you should come home for Thanksgiving next Monday. So yeah, do it._

_April_

"Not much of an invitation, if you ask me." Mr. Small commented as he pushed Leela's hand away from his face.

"Well, that's my sister for you." Leela groaned. "She's been a major pain in the ass since we were kids."

"Oh right, your sister!" he exclaimed as he remembered what she had told him about her step-sister. "You didn't mention she was married."

"She is. To our old High School quarterback, as she always insists in reminding me!" she buried her face in her hands and groaned again, this time more annoyed. "And now I have to spend a whole day with her."

"But it's October, Thanksgiving isn't for another month."

"Not in Canada." She rested in head on her hand and tried to smile. "Thanksgiving's celebrated on the second Monday of October up in the Great White North."

"So are you going?"

"I guess… I can't really disappoint my parents like that. Plus my grandfather will be there, that's always fun." She let out a frustrated sigh. "But I just know April's gonna give me hell…"

"Well, what if I went with you to support through your struggle?" he suggested, to which Leela's head perked up and she looked directly at him with eyes as wide as saucers.

"You would go all the way to Canada just so I wouldn't endure my sister's torment on my own?" she asked, incredulous.

"Of course! That way you'll feel better. Besides the kids would notice that you weren't here and then they wouldn't want to come in here as much. They're crazy about you!"

Leela's smile grew to an almost unbearable level and she threw herself at the cloud man, holding him in the tightest of hugs.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" she squealed in joy as she squeezed him tighter.

"No… problem…" he gasped, his lungs compressed by her unusual strength.

"I must warn you, though…" she released him and adopted a serious demeanor, pointing a finger at him. "My family can get quite crazy. Especially my mom, who's the most overprotective person I've ever met."

"Can't be worse than my mom." Mr. Small commented as he rubbed his sides. "She would never let me go out in the rain because she thought the humidity would make me swell up."

"Well, I can totally see that happening." She chuckled. "That reminds me, you might wanna pack some winter clothing. Canada can be quite chilly this time of year."

"No need to worry about that. The cold doesn't affect me. I'm pretty well insulated." He patted the fluff on his arm to prove his theory.

"OK then, but don't say I didn't warn you!" she said as she turned to her laptop. "I'll book us some tickets. Maybe we can take an early flight and still make it there in the morning."

As she tapped away on her keyboard Mr. Small couldn't help but smile. This was the first trip they were making together, and to her homeland, nonetheless. This would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about the woman who had made him so happy. More happy than he had felt in years.

Oddly enough, he could feel a hint worry creeping through his mind as he realized something that he hadn't before. He was about to undergo something every man dreaded when dating. Something that would put him to the test, especially in terms of manhood.

He was going to meet her parents.


	2. Family Reunions Are ALWAYS Fun

Leela and Mr. Small were able to catch an early flight to Vancouver and arrived at around 10:30 in the eight largest city in Canada. As soon as she set foot outside the airport with her trolley bag, Leela closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The snow was falling and the air was chilly, just like she remembered.

"It's good to be back." She declared with a sigh as she opened her eyes. "I hadn't realized how much I missed this."

She heard some whimpering behind her, and when she turned around she had to stifle a chuckle. There was her boyfriend, who had insisted in wearing his everyday clothes instead of dressing warm like she had told him, his arms crossed tightly against him as he trembled and his teeth clattered together.

"Well, I didn't really want to say 'I told you so'…" she said as she wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck and knelt down to open her bag. "… but it sure was a good thing I saw this coming."

She took out a cushioned winter parka, a pair of gloves and a wool scarf, all very similar to the ones she was wearing, and handed them to him. He slowly took hold of the clothing, still shaking violently.

"Th-th-tha-ank you-ou." he muttered through sharp breaths and dressed himself as Leela hailed a cab.

About half an hour later they arrived at the Winters' residence. It was quaint Victorian styled house in the suburbs which seemed to be really well kept, despite the assumption of being a few decades old. There was a garden adorning the front yard with several species of plants and a vegetable patch here or there. A white picket fence surrounded the whole area, protecting the abode from unwanted visitors.

Mr. Small had finally warmed up, thanks to both the clothes Leela had brought and the fact that the driver had turned up the heating, but it had stopped snowing not long after they had entered the cab. The cold air still felt a bit unpleasant when he got out of the car but it was nothing compared to how he had felt before. As soon as they stopped at the front door, Leela turned back and glared seriously at him.

"Now remember, things might get a little out of hand, so prepare yourself." She advised him as she reached for the doorbell.

"I think I can handle it. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?" he shrugged playfully, smirking casually at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him, thinking he was going to regret his words by the end of the day, and pressed the doorbell. As soon as they heard the bell's chime, they also heard some commotion coming from inside.

"MOOOOOM, SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR!" they heard a female voice shout from the inside.

"COULD YOU PLEASE GET THAT, HONEY?! I'M A LITTLE BUSY AT THE MOMENT!" another female voice shouted in return.

"I'M BUSY TOO! GET VIOLET TO ANSWER THAT!"

"FRANCINE ELAINE WINTERS, YOU GET THAT DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I'M TAKING AWAY ALL YOUR ROCK 'N' ROLL RECORDS!"

"THEY'RE NOT RECORDS, THEY'RE CD'S! AND DON'T CALL ME FRANCINE!"

Leela turned to Mr. Small, giving him a look that screamed 'I told you so' just as they heard a clicking sound and saw the door swing open. In front of them stood a female raccoon who seemed to be in her teen years and didn't look very pleased. Her eyes were a light-amber color and she had black shoulder-length hair with bangs covering her forehead and a purple-dyed strand on each side of her face. She wore a black t-shirt with ripped sleeves and a ripped lower hem, showing off the purple shirt she was wearing underneath, black jeans with one of the knees ripped off and black boots. It was almost scary to look at her too much.

"Hi, Frankie!" Leela squealed as she hugged the girl, who didn't return the hug at all.

"Yeah, hi." She replied, no interest whatsoever in her tone. She pushed Leela away and walked back inside. "MOOOOOM, LEELA AND HER BOYFRIEND ARE HERE!"

They heard some pots clanging from another room and some hurried steps sounding closer and closer by the minute. Not long after another female raccoon appeared at the door, this one looking like she was in her fifties. She was dressed simply in a turtleneck and a long skirt. Her short black hair framed her face just perfectly, making the small glasses she was wearing look very elegant in front of her chestnut-brown eyes. She seemed to be exploding with joy and she pulled Leela into a tight hug.

"Oh my gosh, sweetie, it's been so long!" she exclaimed as she held her tighter. "I've missed so much!"

"Hi mom!" Leela managed to choke out. "I've missed you too."

"Oh honey, let me take a good look at you!" she released her and examined her from head to toe as she held onto her hands. "You're looking a little too skinny. Have you been eating right?"

"Yes."

"Have you been taking your pills?"

"Yes."

"Have you been – "

"Mom, I'm fine!" Leela interrupted her with a chuckle. "You can stop worrying!"

"I know, it's just I barely get to see you at all."

She brought her daughter in for another hug, this time a regular one. As she gently rubbed her back she happened to notice her daughter's plus-one, who was awkwardly standing in the corner and gave her a small smile, which she immediately returned.

"Oh, you must be Steve!" she let go of Leela and vigorously shook his hand. "Leela has told me so much about you!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Winters." He said, smiling politely.

"Oh please, Mrs. Winters is my mother-in-law." She seemed to cringe slightly, but recovered instantly. "Call me Rose. Oh, but what are we all doing out here in the cold? Come in, come in!"

She pulled her daughter and her other guest inside and quickly took their coats and other winter attire from them, leading them to the living room. It was a lot warmer inside, being that the heating was on and the fireplace was lit. Frankie was spread across the couch with her headphones on and fiddling with her cell phone. The music she was listening to was so loud it could be heard from across the room.

"Please make yourself at home. I believe you've met Leela's sister, Frankie." She gestured towards the teenager, who just nodded them off. "I'll go tell Violet you're here. She's been dying to see you! Excuse me."

As Rose Winters left the room and headed upstairs, the couple was left alone with Frankie, who didn't seem to care at all about their presence, which made Mr. Small feel a little uncomfortable. She was mainly focused on her music and her cell.

"Is she always like this?" he asked Leela, who seemed to be just looking around.

"Ever since I can remember." She replied. "Just wait until you meet my other sister. She's been my best friend ever since we were kids. She's crazy about me."

"How crazy?"

Suddenly they heard an extremely loud high-pitched squeal coming from the upper floor, so intense it almost gave Mr. Small a heart attack. As he breathed to recover from the scare, Leela couldn't help but laugh.

"Does that answer your question?"

He didn't have time to reply, for before he knew it another female raccoon swooped in and held Leela in an almost unbearable hug. Unlike most of her relatives, she had long darkish-red hair that reached her lower back. She wore glasses like her mother, but these were thicker and bigger, covering most of her face. She was wearing a small teal wool coat over a white shirt, knee shorts and sandals, almost like she was disregarding the season they were in. As she held onto the lemur, who had returned the hug, they both started hopping in place and giggling.

"I can't believe you're finally here!" the raccoon squealed. "It's been like forever!"

"I know! I've missed you so much!" Leela squeaked in return before releasing her from her grasp and turning her around. "Violet, this is Steve." She gestured towards Mr. Small. "Steve, this is my sister Violet, my best friend."

"Hi there!" he greeted her with a handshake. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" Violet gasped. "I've heard so much about you." She turned to Leela and moved towards her ear. "You were right, he is cute!"

"Sush!" she whispered playfully, lightly elbowing her in the ribs and making her giggle. "So where's dad?"

"He's upstairs in his study working on a case."

"On Thanksgiving?" Leela asked, indignation clearly audible in her voice.

"Well, you know dad. Rain or shine, if he has an important case in his hands, David Winters won't rest until it's solved. That's what makes him such a great lawyer."

"Well, could you go get him so I can introduce Steve to him? I bet he can't wait to meet him." Said Leela, noticing from the corner of her eye that her boyfriend was nervously loosening his shirt collar.

"Sure! Then I gotta go back to the kitchen. Mom's got her hands a bit too full and needs all the help she can get." she ran out of the room and up the stairs, leaving the two alone in the living room once more.

"Come on, I'll give you a tour of the house." Said Leela as she dragged Steve to the next room.

"So your sister's nice." He commented as they entered the dining room. "Well, at least one of them." He chuckled.

"Well, there's never a dull moment with them, that's for sure. I mean, it's not easy having three siblings, even if we're not blood related, but in the end you realize all you have to do is – DUCK!"

Before he could even think twice, Steve was pulled onto the floor, where he and Leela laid on their stomachs as a couple of ketchup packets flew through over their heads and landed on the other room. The source of their bombardment was an elderly fox who was waving his cane angrily at no one in particular.

"You damn Viet Congs!" he yelled at a wall as he threw some more ketchup packets at it. "You'll never take me alive!"

"Who is that?" Steve inquired as he stared at the septuagenarian, a bit fearful.

"That's my grandfather, Lieutenant Frank Bush. We call him 'Pops' amongst ourselves." She explained as she chuckled at his behavior. "He led some troops in Vietnam, and ever since he had a stroke two years ago he thinks he's there again. My grandmother died just a couple of months before his stroke and now he lives in a senior home, but we get him out on special occasions. He's a barrel of laughs!"

"He seems a bit emotionally unstable."

"You just have to know how to talk to him. Observe." She pushed herself up and stood up straight, taking her hand to her forehead in a salute. "Private L. Winters, reporting for duty, sir!"

"Oh, there you are!" her grandfather turned around and walked up to her. "At ease, Private. Any news from the front?"

"Sir, yes sir! I have found a new recruit, sir!"

"Terrific! We need all the help we can get to defeat that hideous creature over there." He pointed his cane at a potted plant in the corner of the room, shaking a fist at it. "You're laughing now, but you won't be when I turn you into mulch!"

Leela hurriedly gestured towards Steve to join her and he quickly got up and stood straight next to her.

"Sir, this is, hum… General Small!" she pushed him towards her grandfather. "He's volunteered to be our back-up."

Frank looked at this 'volunteer' suspiciously, in a way that sent shivers down his spine. He eyed him from head to toe and slowly circled him like a lion inspecting his prey. After he stopped back in front him and looked him in the eye, the poor cloud man was starting to sweat.

"Oh, I see what your deal is…" the old fox poked his cane on Steve's chest menacingly. "You're one of those lily-livered tree huggers, aren't ya? I've seen your kind before. You're of no use to me or my men!" he turned back to his granddaughter. "Take this nature lover out of my sight!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Leela said right before she started pushing him out of the room.

"And get a haircut, you hippie!" they heard him shout back at them.

"Don't mind him, he does this every time." Leela chuckled as she finished shoving Steve back into the living room. "You should see how he treat's April's husband. This one time he actually made him drop and give him fifty pushups!"

"Well, at least he's making sure everybody stays fit then." He laughed.

"I see you've met Lieutenant 'Pops' Bush."

They both turned around in time to see a male raccoon standing behind, his arms crossed against his chest and a small comprehensive smile across his face. His simple attire consisted in a royal-blue sweater vest over a plain white dress shirt and black trousers. His black hair was neatly combed, giving the impression that he was someone who clearly paid attention to detail.

"Daddy!" Leela squealed in glee as she launched herself into his arms.

"How's my special little girl?" he asked tenderly as he held her close.

"Getting older by the minute." She giggled as she released her father and walked back to Steve, holding his hand. "Dad, this is Steve. Remember, I've told you about him?"

"Ah yes, your previous boss and current boyfriend." He extended his hand for him to shake. "David Winters, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, sir." Steve took his hand and shook it as he smiled at the raccoon.

"I've heard wonderful things about you. The way you took care of Leela in her time of need, how you offered her a job…" he narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are your intentions towards my daughter?"

As he stared him down, the cloud man felt his throat suddenly dry up and his stomach do a summersault as his previous nerves and anxiety returned at full force. He also couldn't help but notice that David shared the same eye color as his wife.

"Dad, come on!" Leela stepped between the two men to stop their staring contest. "Now's not the time."

"You're right, you're right!" her father lifted his hands in front of him in a placating manner. "Today is about family and having a nice peaceful dinner." He smiled down at his daughter, who smiled back. "I'd better go back to working on my case. I want to get it ready before we sit down to eat."

He walked past the couple, stealing a threatening glance towards his daughter's companion before exiting the room. Steve couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh when he was gone.

"He does that all the time." Leela stated as she gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "I guess being a lawyer just helps you grow paranoid."

"Feels like he was staring through my very soul." Said Steve, trembling slightly.

"Yeah, that's his signature move. He just stares at the convicts on the stand until they ultimately fess up. He used to do it with us when we were kids. It's really scary!" suddenly they heard the doorbell ring. "I better get that. Everyone else is busy and Frankie just doesn't seem to care at all about it."

Steve could see the teenager nod absentmindedly from the corner of his eye as they headed towards the entrance. Leela turned the lock and started to pull the door open, but before she could even open it enough to catch a glance of who was behind it, it was abruptly pushed open from the other side and Leela had to quickly take a step back so she wouldn't get hit with it.

"I told you, you either get hold of the gourmet caterer we used last time, or we might as well cancel the entire thing!" a female raccoon barked into her cell phone as she entered without caring who was there, dragging her trolley bag behind her. She was wearing a royal-blue pant suit with a white shirt and the tallest pair of black stiletto heels anyone had ever seen. Her long black hair fell down her back, and her eyes were the signature Winters chestnut brown. When she finally realized there were other people in the room she let out an exasperated sigh. "Anyway, I'll call you back later. I'm at my parents' for Thanksgiving." She hung up and put on a rather intimidating smile as she looked at Leela, who was frowning at her. "Well well, if it isn't Little Miss I'm-Too-Good-To-Stay-In-My-Home-Country."

"April." Leela stated simply and she kept scowling at the new arrival.

"And this must be Steve!" she added as she noticed the cloud man, who was feeling a bit uncomfortable about her. "Look at that, you actually do exist!" she turned back to her stepsister with another evil smirk. "Someone's really upping her standards!"

"Gee, thanks." Leela commented drily before attempting to smile at her. "How's Evan?"

"Oh, terrific! His dealership is really getting the recognition it deserves ever since that annoying kid everyone in the media is talking about bought a car there!" she let out a few fake chuckles before rudely shoving her bag's handle into Leela's hands and heading towards the kitchen. "Take my things upstairs, will you? I'm going to say 'hi' to mom."

Steve could almost feel Leela's blood boil with anger as she grinded her teeth together and tried to break the handle apart. He placed a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.

"Are you going to be OK?" he asked as he caressed her arm.

"Sure… fine…" she muttered, taking a few deep breaths. "I'll survive... just like I always do."

"Violet, hi! Say, is your face getting smaller or are your glasses getting thicker?" they heard April ask from the kitchen in a bitter sarcastic way. Leela sighed in annoyance.

"It's going to be a long night…"


	3. Dinner Time Mayhem

"So then I dumped his sorry butt, but after a while he came back, saying he couldn't live without me, so I took him back. We dated for three months and then got married."

Leela could barely keep herself awake. She had been listening to April go on about how she had met her husband and what had evolved from there for almost an hour. She had heard the same story who knows how many times now, and she swore if she had to hear it one more time her head was going to explode. She let out another irritated sigh as she tried to keep her eyes open with her head resting on her hand. Next to her Steve had inadvertently fallen asleep next to her on the couch, his head falling back over the edge. She stretched herself upward and faked her best smile.

"Yeah, that's really something." She lied as she elbowed Steve to wake him, making him sit up abruptly. "Really gets more and more interesting after the fiftieth time."

"Yeah, it is a pretty great story." April bragged as she inspected her fingernails. "Too bad you'll never know what true love is."

Leela was about to tell her off in the worst way she could, but before she even had the chance…

"Dinner time, everybody!" she heard her mother call from the other room.

April got up and strutted out of the room as Leela glared daggers at her. Steve placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her an understanding look, to which she took a deep breath and tried her best to calm herself. April was a royal pain, but she wasn't going to let her ruin such a nice family gathering.

Frankie was already walking towards the dining room and the couple soon followed. A pleasant aroma emanated from the next room and as they entered their mouths fell agape at the sight of the veritable smorgasbord that was displayed before them: squash soup, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, glazed carrots, cranberry sauce, cast-iron skillet cornbread, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, fresh bread rolls, a few gravy boats and, of course, the indispensable turkey with stuffing.

Steve sent a worried look in Leela's direction, but before he knew it her mother had an arm around him.

"Don't worry, we're used to having non-meat-eaters in the house." She told him with a comprehensive expression on her face. "Leela's been a vegetarian from a very tender age, and not even by choice, so we got used to preparing meatless dishes. Especially in occasions like this one."

"So that's…" he awkwardly pointed a finger at the turkey.

"Tofurky. Leela had the idea of introducing it to our Thanksgiving dinners when she was eleven. Before that I just didn't cook turkey at all."

"Yes, and thanks to her we've never eaten meat in this house again." Stated April as she poured herself some squash soup. "Talk about selfish…"

"I didn't force you to do anything, you could've eaten whatever you wanted whenever you wanted!" Leela retorted angrily. "I, on the other hand, didn't even have a choice!"

"Alright you two, that's enough." Said Rose as she calmly patted her stepdaughter on the back. "Let's just have a nice dinner, OK?"

Leela huffed and took a seat next to Violet, Steve sitting on her other side. She breathed angrily through her nose a few times before taking another deep breath and looking up to face the rest of her family as best as she could. April was right in front of her, ignoring her completely as she now buttered a roll with a rather annoyed expression. Frankie was slurping a spoonful of squash soup on her left and her mother was on her right, tucking Pops' napkin into his shirt collar in case he spilt anything onto himself. The elderly veteran was sitting on one of the edges of the table while his son-in-law sat on the other, between his two youngest daughters. Normally Rose and David sat together, but whenever her father was present Rose insisted in sitting next to him in case he needed help with anything.

As she motioned to grab the ladle in front of her, Leela noticed Violet adjusting her glasses on top of her nose and looking rather uncomfortable whilst doing so.

"Violet, I keep telling you you should get contacts." Leela advised her stepsister. "Nobody can see how pretty your eyes are if you keep wearing those glasses."

"I can't really handle contacts and you know I'm almost blind without these." The redhead removed her glasses and squinted to make out her surroundings, making it now clear her eyes were a beautiful shade of honey. "And I need my vision if I want to cut up people's brains in the right way."

Steve stiffened in his seat, his eyes widening and giving his girlfriend a really freaked out look, to which she giggled.

"Violet is studying Neurobiology in college." She stated as she pointed at the raccoon, now with her glasses back on. "In fact she's almost done. Isn't this your final year, Vi?"

"It sure is! I'm already sending out applications to laboratories, hospitals and other universities! Although I do think the dean at my university is preparing to offer me a position. He's been coming to my classes and observing how I work. Besides it being a little innerving, I'm actually quite honored."

"Yes, because spending the rest of your life slicing away at dead people's brains is so exciting." April commented sarcastically. Both Leela and Violet scowled at her.

"OK, how about we change the topic to something a little more appropriate to talk about at the dinner table?" Rose suggested, sensing the tension between her three daughters, and turned to her stepdaughter's boyfriend. "So Steve, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself?"

The room became quiet as everybody's attention turned to the cloud man. David seemed to inspecting him like he usually did to convicts when he was at court. Steve cleared his throat and awkwardly folded his hands on top of the table.

"Well, I'm the school counselor at Elmore Junior High, along with my trusty partner Leela…" he gestured towards the lemur, who smiled at him. "I'm a vegan and I enjoy meditation, Tai Chi, rollerblading – "

"OK, I'm just going to go ahead and ask the question everyone is dying to ask." April cut off, giving Steve a scarily-sweet smirk. "How long have you and Leela been sleeping together?"

Around the room everyone reacted to that question in their own way: Rose choked on the glass of water she was drinking, David dropped the knife he was using to cut a piece of turkey onto his plate, making clank loudly, Violet covered her mouth, Frankie sniggered with a mouth full of mashed potatoes and Leela's jaw dropped as Steve stared at April with his eyes as wide as ever. The only one who didn't seem to be affected by that remark was Pops, who had fallen asleep in his seat.

"April Estelle Winters!" Rose exclaimed when she finally recovered from her coughing fit. "What kind of question is that?"

"Oh please, you don't really think she's still a virgin, do you?" she shrugged like she was talking about the most common thing in the world. "She finally gets a boyfriend for the first time in twenty five years and you don't she's gonna take that as a chance to finally pop her cherry?"

Everybody except Pops and Frankie were now glaring at April in disbelief as Leela sunk her seat with a bright crimson blush spreading across her cheeks. Steve was feeling so uncomfortable, he had no idea where to look.

"Is this true, Leela?" David looked at his daughter with trademark glare, sending shivers up her spine.

"W-well…" she stammered, feeling completely cornered. "I-I…"

"Well, looks like she's not fessing up any time soon, why don't you ask lover-boy over there?" said April as she pointed at Steve. "I bet he had most of the blame. After all, there's no way Leela would volunteer for such an act."

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Leela shouted at her snooty sister, surprising everyone in the room. "I am sick and tired of all crap you put me through! I don't know what I ever did to you, but that's no excuse to treat me like dirt! You think you're so high and mighty, but guess what, you're not! You're no better than anyone else, and it's high time someone takes you down a notch! You're not that special!" she rose from her seat and edged closer to her. "You know what you are, April? You're nothing but a big fat PHONY!"

April looked at her in shock for another couple of seconds before her face turned serious and she got up to face her stepsister.

"How dare you? You have no right to talk to me like that!" she barked at her. "I'm not the phony, YOU ARE! You don't belong in this family and you never did! You just waltzed in here and made yourself at home!"

"April, you know perfectly well that's not true!" Rose intervened. "We took Leela in at her hour of need. She had nowhere else to go!"

"Yes, she did! It's called an orphanage! It's where other pathetic orphans like her are supposed to live!"

"OK, THAT'S IT!" Leela slammed her fist onto the table. "You better take that back, or I'm gonna – "

Before she could finish her threat Leela had to bend over and grasp her chest as she felt an all too familiar sharp pain invade her and making it hard for her to breathe.

"Oh no! Honey!" Rose got up to run over to her stepdaughter and wrapped an arm around her. "Your heart!"

"I'll get her pills!" Steve quickly stated as he ran out of the room.

"Now look what you've done!" David scolded his eldest daughter as he wrapped an arm around Leela from the other side along with Violet.

"Yeah sure, pull the old 'searing pain in the chest' card." April scoffed as she crossed her arms and sat back down. "How predictable can you get?"

"April, you know perfectly well Leela's condition is serious!" Rose sat Leela back down as she breathed heavily.

"Sure, take her side, like you always do!"

"Here, take these!" Steve returned and handed Leela her pills, panting hard from running up and down the stairs.

"April, I am very disappointed with you!" Rose sternly told her daughter. "You know better than to act this way!"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be acting this way if she didn't DESERVE IT!" she shouted.

"What, where? Are we under attack?" Pops blurted out as he was awakened by his granddaughter's shouts. "Battle stations, everyone! This is not a drill!"

"Oh shut up, grandpa, you are not in Vietnam! You just think you are because your HEAD IS MESSED UP!"

The entire room was silent as everyone stared at April incredulously, their eyes wide and completely motionless. Even Leela looked up at her, having just taken her pills and waiting for her pain to disappear. She seemed to realize what she had done, her eyes darting from one of her family members to another with a helpless expression. She hurriedly stood up and headed upstairs, avoiding looking anyone in the eyes. As she walked past her, Leela noticed a tear running down April's cheek, and as bad as she hated her, she couldn't help but worry.

"I'm sorry about all this." Rose apologized to Steve. "She used to be such a sweet girl. I have no idea what ruined her."

"I do. It's probably those newfangled electronic doohickeys that are going around these days!" Pops suggested, shaking his head with disappointment. "Poor soldier doesn't even know which way is up anymore."

Leela looked in the direction April had headed. In all the years she knew her, the only times she saw her stepsister crying was either because she had gone through a breakup or because she just couldn't get her own way. But this time was different, and it didn't take a Psychology degree to figure it out. That was pure emotion.

"I'll go talk to her." Leela declared as she got up and walked towards the door.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea, honey?" Rose held back her daughter, unsure of what she was about to do.

"I have a feeling something's up with her. Something serious." She looked back at the rest of her family. "I know she's been tormenting me all my life, but she's my sister, and I can tell something's wrong with her."

Steve took her hand in his and gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned before walking out of the room.

As she reached the top of the stairs she heard what was clearly April sobbing in her old room. She raised a fist to knock on the door but hesitated for a second, only to shake off her anxiety and finally knock on the wooden surface.

"What?" she heard a muffled voice ask from inside. It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she took it as permission to enter. She turned the knob, slowly pushed the door open and was welcomed with the sight of her stepsister sitting on her old bed and glaring angrily at her, her face washed in tears and her makeup smudged. "What do YOU want?"

"We need to talk." Leela closed the door and took a seat beside her.

"I have nothing to say to you." The raccoon turned away from her, crossing her arms tightly against her chest.

"April, we're both adults here. And I can clearly tell there's something bothering you."

"Sure, just because you studied Psychology now you think you can tell what everyone is feeling."

"Come on April, I know you hate me, but keeping your feelings bottled up won't do you any good." She tried to place her hand on her shoulder but she just brushed her off. "Just talk to me, OK? Let it all out."

April looked back at Leela with an icy stare that looked like she was about to murder her. The lemur scooted back a few inches instinctively, not wanting to take any chances.

"You want me to let it all out? Fine, I'll let it all out." She turned around completely and continued to glare angrily at her. "I hate you more than anything in the world. Ever since you came into this family all the attentions turned to you. Suddenly mom and dad stopped caring about my needs and focused only on yours. You got special treatment in every aspect of your life, and all I got were the leftovers!" She gradually increased the volume of her voice and the tears started rolling down her cheeks again. "My life was perfect before you came into it! I was mom and dad's special girl! I got all their love! And now I just have to sit back and take it while someone else gets it all INSTEAD OF ME!"

"Is that why you've always had it out for me? Because you think I stole your place?"

"You did steal my place! You with your special needs and your heart condition! How could I ever compete with that?! I'm almost perfect! I've made through life almost flawlessly, but that doesn't seem to matter to anyone! No, the one who people really care about is whoever needs special trea – "

She was cut off by her stepsister wrapping her arms around her and without warning holding her in a tight hug. She was speechless for a moment, trying to grasp what was happening.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she exclaimed, squirming to get out of her embrace.

"I'm sorry." Leela whispered, tightening her grip around her. "I had no idea you felt that way, and I never meant to make you feel unloved. Believe me, mom and dad never stopped loving you. It's just… life hasn't been very fair for me, and yes, I have special needs which needed attention as I grew up… and I never realized how much that made you feel left out. And for that I'm sorry. I'm really… really sorry."

They both stood in silence for a minute. Leela was starting to wonder if what she had done had been a good idea, but promptly got her answer when April embraced in an even tighter hug than the one they were already in and started bawling against her shoulder. Leela allowed it, softly rubbing her back to console her.

"Evan's leaving me." April muttered between sobs.

"What?" Leela released her stepsister, holding onto her shoulders as she looked her in the eyes.

"He says he's sick of my obnoxious attitude and wants someone who just doesn't consider him something to show off." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand before continuing. "I really screwed it up."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. He's right. The truth is I did marry him just to show off. And to move out." She sighed deeply. "We were actually happy for a while, when he treated me like a goddess. But a few months back he finally saw my true intentions, and we've been growing apart ever since."

"Well, why don't you talk to him and try to change your ways. And I mean really change your ways." She held her hand in hers and smiled sweetly at her. "Then maybe you two could make it work."

As she looked deep into her eyes, Leela saw a side of April she had never seen before: a more honest, vulnerable and generally non-malicious side. She could see how much she meant every word that came out of her mouth. It was all too unexpected, but not as unexpected as what happened next, when April gave Leela the first honest smile she had ever seen coming from her and voluntarily pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you." April whispered, sadness clear in her tone. "And I'm sorry for being such a big bully."

"It's OK, I understand now." Leela replied, returning the hug. "You needed to stand out because you felt like I was upstaging you."

"Well, I promise that from this moment on that part of me is gone." She looked in her eyes with a determined look on her face and a big smile. "Never again."

"Thanks." Leela beamed at her.

"And I'm sorry about what I said at the dinner table."

"Don't worry about it. And for the record… what you said was right." She blushed as she now avoided her stepsister's surprised look.

"You mean you've… really?"

"April, we've been dating for four months, what do you think?" she chuckled.

April started laughing her heart out along with Leela, who was mostly laughing at her reaction. She was also happy that after all those years they were finally getting along. After all they had been through, all the hate and sorrow, it was nice to finally have an older sister.


	4. Epilogue

The next few days flew by with ease, as Leela and April bonded and made up for lost time. Although he mostly sat back and watched, Steve now realized how likeable his girlfriend's stepsister could be. When they talked, she could really pick up on some interesting topics. It surprised most of her family members, but she demonstrated she could be nice and kind at heart.

Three days later everyone took their own paths. April went back to her own home to try to reason with her husband, and Leela and Steve caught a flight back to Elmore. They were both tired and pleased with what came out of their little trip to the Great White North, and as she observed her home country disappear beneath the clouds as the plane took off, Leela couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh.

"You know, it's funny." She commented as she ran a hand through the glass on the window.

"What is?" Steve asked as he struggled to open a bag of nuts.

"Never in a million years would I expect a simple Thanksgiving dinner to have this outcome. But I'm glad it did. It's like a new chapter of my life just started."

"I'm glad you feel that way. And don't worry, I'm sure lots of other chapters will start in your life soon."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she turned to him in intrigue.

"Oh, nothing."

He avoided her gaze, but she could a mischievous smile on his face, like the one of a little boy who had just pulled off a clever prank. She let it go for now and looked back out the window on her left, admiring the clear blue sky before her.

Truly these were better days.


End file.
